


On Behalf of a King

by nightserenade



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-12
Updated: 2014-11-12
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:25:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightserenade/pseuds/nightserenade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They’re out of the tournament now, can’t move on to the next stage. That had been the last game Oikawa would play, and the thought of graduation looms in on him like impending doom. His last game as the captain of Aobajousai, with these players he’s grown so close to and helped nurture into amazing athletes. He’d lost his final opportunity to go up against the person he wants to beat more than anyone else.</p>
<p>And it’s all Kageyama’s fault.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Behalf of a King

They lost.

The sound of the ball hitting their side of the court the final time is as loud as a gunshot to his ears, and Oikawa stands there, frozen in place, his hands spread on either side of him as a stunned look takes over his face.

He can’t believe it, even when the whistle blows and he can hear cheers coming from far away, from voices he can’t recognize, even when he’s dragged by the arm to line up and end the match properly, and even when everything resumes around him and other teams get ready to play.

Being surrounded by his team would normally be comforting, but Oikawa feels hollow, his chest too tight and constricting around his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. He needs to get away, needs to be alone, and without saying a word he starts to stumble off.

Of course, this doesn’t go unnoticed, and someone calls out to him before he gets away completely.

“Oikawa-san-”

“Leave him,” he hears Iwaizumi tell them, knowing his best friend better than anyone else, and Oikawa is glad for that as he slips away from the rest of his team to seek some quiet. He’ll face them later, when he’s in control of himself again.

The bathroom is the first and only place he can find, with it thankfully being vacated of people as the next matches get underway, and he leans over one of the sinks, hands clenching the sill as he focuses on breathing. It’s difficult, feels like an impossible task to contain the hurricane of thoughts and feelings consuming him.

He doesn’t know how long he stays there like that, lost in his own head, but he’s dragged out violently when he hears something that signifies he’s not alone anymore.

There’s the sound of the door being opened, and Oikawa straightens, whirling around to look at whoever it is, ready to stalk out of the bathroom to save himself further embarrassment for being caught.

Only he comes face to face with Kageyama Tobio and promptly freezes in his tracks.

The reaction seems to be shared as the other setter stiffens and stays close to the door as it bangs shut, his expression at first confused before it morphs into an awkward sort of understanding when his gaze flicks to the side.

It isn’t the first time Kageyama has seen him cry, but this time he can clearly understand how he’s feeling and why he’s feeling that way. That doesn’t comfort Oikawa to any degree, however, certainly not after the game they’d just played. His crushed dreams flare up inside his heart, going up his throat and strangling him until he becomes light-headed.

It’s cruel and utterly unfair that he lost, that he had to lose to this genius who has everything he lacks and desires. For so long he’d been able to forget about him and focus on improving with his team, and then fate had to make him face Kageyama and the newly evolved Karasuno in such an important match. He’d won against him before and yet this loss is so much more important. It’s devastating.

They’re out of the tournament now, can’t move on to the next stage. That had been the last game Oikawa would play, and the thought of graduation looms in on him like impending doom. His last game as the captain of Aobajousai, with these players he’s grown so close to and helped nurture into amazing athletes. He’d lost his final opportunity to go up against the person he wants to beat more than anyone else.

And it’s all Kageyama’s fault.

In a sudden move that shocks both of them, Oikawa’s hands shoot forward and seize the front of Kageyama’s jersey. He flinches back slightly, as if readying for a hit that doesn’t come. It has them both stilling in the silence they’ve been stuck in for so long now, the pair of their minds flashing back to the moment in middle school when such an awful, violent mistake was almost made.

A choked off sob hitches in Oikawa’s throat, and tears, hot and pained, start flowing from his eyes once more. He cries harder now than he had before as it all seems to hit him like a physical blow.  Bowing forward until his head rests against Kageyama’s chest, he lets all of his emotions come pouring out even before he can let words do the same.

“Y-You’re going to win. Keep winning and beat everyone.” He breathes in a quick, harsh breath through gritted teeth. “Like hell am I going to accept losing to _you_ if you don’t win the entire tournament.”

Quiet is all he’s given as an answer for a few moments before a very assured and determined voice speaks up.

“I’ll win for sure. No, we’ll win. We’re going to.”

The fact that he corrects himself like that makes Oikawa laugh, shakily with a voice raspy from crying. Look how far he’s come, speaking like a true team member, a just and kind king. He can’t deny the extent of which he’s surpassed him now after all these years.

There’s suddenly warmth on his shoulder where earlier there hadn’t been, and belatedly he realizes that Kageyama is awkwardly patting him in some poor attempt at comforting his former schoolmate.

Oikawa sniffles and tries to get a hold of himself, disliking the imaginary blow to his ego that being comforted by Kageyama of all people seems to give him, and ends up mumbling almost intelligibly under his breath.

“I’ll teach you it.”

Kageyama frowns, thin brows knitting together over his eyes in his confusion. “Teach me what?”

Finally feeling as if he’s coming back to his senses, he moves away, retreated a few steps. Rubbing the back of his hand messily against his nose, a smirk starts growing on his lips, making him look more like his usual self. “A proper jump serve, of course.”

Kageyama looks entirely taken by surprise, normally narrowed eyes widening. It takes a number of seconds for the offer to finally register in his mind, and then a very small, wobbling smile appears on his face, trembling lips matching the shiver that goes through his tall frame.

He seems so overcome with excitement. It reminds Oikawa of how Kageyama had been when he was younger, so much so that he can’t bear to look at him for any longer and his solution to that is to shove passed his old teammate with a scoff.

“You better work hard or I’ll change my mind, Tobio-chan. I want you to use the techniques I teach you to beat that smug Ushiwaka.”

There is no hesitance in the next reply.

“I will, Oikawa-senpai!” Kageyama exclaims, following after him briskly as they exit the bathroom, and Oikawa can’t help the genuine smile that appears on his lips for a beat, though he makes sure not to let the other see it as they part ways to head back to their respected teams.

It won’t be as fulfilling and meaningful as between Ushijima himself, but Oikawa will settle for this.

**Author's Note:**

> Maybe I'll write a sequel of sorts with them getting closer through practicing together or something along those lines. It's tempting.


End file.
